Philadelphia Eagles fans are mourning the death of NFL legend Billy Ray Barnes, who has passed away at 90.
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Barnes died on Wednesday in Landis, N.C., surrounded by his friends and family, the team announced.
“He was 90 and has a fabulous life,” his daughter, Billi Barnes Akins, said in a statement.
According to the Eagles, Barnes was a two-time cancer survivor.
The Eagles are saddened to learn of the passing of Billy Ray Barnes.https://t.co/ZLPGTxhMHq pic.twitter.com/IXHdWW81mk
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 3, 2026
A standout halfback at Wake Forest, Barnes was selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 1957 NFL Draft. He played for the franchise from 1957 to 1961, earning Pro Bowl honors in each of his first three seasons.
Barnes was instrumental in the Eagles’ 1960 NFL Championship victory—the franchise’s final title before their Super Bowl win in 2017. In that championship game 66 years ago, Philadelphia defeated the Green Bay Packers 17-13.
Billy Ray Barnes Recently Revealed His Fondest Memories of His NFL Days were the Fans
Akins told the team’s website that after her father’s championship ring was stolen, she and her twin sister worked with the Eagles to get him a replacement.
“One of the things that he loved about the Eagles is in that championship game, they were the underdogs. Dad always liked being the underdog. He said it made him tougher, made him stronger, made him play harder,” she told the Eagles’ website.
“He said the only thing that allowed them to win was their team. They were a team that was really tight and believed in each other,” Akins added.
During his five seasons with the Eagles, Barnes recorded 2,392 rushing yards, 1,275 receiving yards, 20 rushing touchdowns, and eight receiving touchdowns. His best season was in 1959, when he amassed 687 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, plus 314 receiving yards and two scores, in just 12 games.
“The fondest memory of everything up there is the fans,” Barnes recalled to the team website in 2021. “I played there for five years, but I lived there year-round for about eight years. The people were just great to me in Philadelphia.”
The Eagles traded Barnes to Washington, where he played for two seasons before sitting out the 1964 campaign. He played two seasons with the Vikings in 1965 and 1966.
In 98 career games, Barnes totaled 3,421 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, alongside 1,786 receiving yards and nine receiving scores.
After his playing career, Barnes moved into coaching. He led the Charleston Rockets of the Continental Football League before becoming an assistant coach for the Saints and Falcons.
“He never realized how people thought of these guys as the greatest ever,” Akins shared with the team website. “People you wouldn’t even know would just call him and reach out to him.
“The biggest thing was the friendships that he had made there. They were lifelong. He talked to a bunch of guys on the phone for years. He enjoyed everything about Philadelphia.”